Mélanie Laurent

French actress/director Mélanie Laurent quickly ascended to star status in her native country with acclaimed, award-winning turns as soulful, often sultry women in such films as "Don't Worry, I...
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Appeared in first feature film "Ceci est mon corps," co-starring Jane Birkin; premiered at Cannes Film Festival

Summary

French actress/director Mélanie Laurent quickly ascended to star status in her native country with acclaimed, award-winning turns as soulful, often sultry women in such films as "Don't Worry, I'm Fine" (2006), before reaching international stardom with Quentin Tarantino's World War II action epic "Inglourious Basterds" (2009). She began acting as a teenager on the advice of Gérard Depardieu, who provided her with a debut role in his drama "The Bridge" (1999), which was soon followed by small parts in features and on French television. A César Award for her gripping performance in "Don't Worry, I'm Fine" as a teenager embroiled in a family secret vaulted her to the top of her profession, while also spurring her to explore opportunities behind the camera as the director of two well-regarded short films. Her turn in "Basterds" as an avenging Jewish theater owner received near-universal acclaim from international critical associations. However, Laurent preferred to remain active in French cinema for the next few years until returning to the States for such English-language hits as "Beginners" (2010) and "Now You See Me" (2013). Laurent's smoldering screen presence and burgeoning multi-hyphenate status underscored her standing as one of world cinema's most accomplished talents.